Before I Die ... After I'm Gone project
About the global Before I Die project
Before I Die is a global art project that invites people to reflect upon their mortality and consider the things that matter most. Created in 2011 by Candy Chang in response to the death of a loved one, the project helps people grapple with the reality of death and find clarity in the face of our shared mortality. There are now over 5,000 walls across 78 countries and in 36 languages.
You can check out the Before I Die Project website and see some of the many thousands of walls by clicking this link.
About the Hurstbridge walls
In 2023, SHIFT installed two walls in Hurstbridge that invited community members to share their responses to the questions ‘Before I Die I want to …’ and ‘After I’m gone my legacy will be…’. While the original Before I Die project serves as a kind of bucket list for more material desires, the variation of ‘After I’m gone …’ asks people to contemplate the impact they are making on the world right now, along with what they might leave behind for their family, community, and the planet. Thinking about our legacy prompts us to ask how we can use our time on Earth to make a difference, and think more deeply about whether we are being good citizens and ancestors.
The two walls were installed at publically accessible locations at the Hurstbridge Community Hub and Allwood Neighbourhood House. In addition to the physical walls, virtual walls were created to extend the reach of the project and allow the entire Nillumbik community to participate. These virtual walls are permanently accessible and anyone is welcome to contribute a response. You can share your messages any time by clicking on the links below.
Cost: FREE
When: April and May, 2023 (virtual walls permanently available)
Time: Accessible to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while installed
Venues: Hurstbridge Community Hub, 50 Graysharps Rd, Hurstbridge
& Allwood Neighbourhood House, 901 Main Rd, Hurstbridge